Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Thirteen Factories: Refuge In Canton

Trade
was limited to port of Canton in China. During the mid-18th century, the Qing
government in Beijing permitted all foreign trading ships to land only in
Canton. Ever since, the port became a thriving center of foreign trade. And
near to the docks, a whole street, which was the center of all trading
activities, became the refuge of foreigners and became known as the Thirteen
Factories.

During
the reign of Emperor Kangxi (r. 1661 – 1722) trade was much wider. Under his
rule, foreign shipping could enter almost the whole eastern coast of China.
However, due to convenience, most of the foreign ships choose to land in the
Guangzhou Province, and in particular, Canton.

Things
began to change when Kangxi’s grandson ascended to the dragon throne. Emperor
Qianlong had concern over the missionary work and its impact to the Chinese
Confucian society. And the missionaries were alongside the trading ships. Thus,
in 1757, he limited access of foreign ships only in Canton and nowhere else.

And
within the port of Canton, they movements were also limited. The Europeans
could not leave the waterfront or enter the city walls. They could not also
bring their families. Prohibition concerning the bringing of families was
logical. Foreign merchants could only do business between October and March and
after that, they must all leave the island. They were also not allowed to learn
Chinese. Most importantly, the foreign merchants must made all transaction
through intermediaries called the Hongs.

The
Hong provided wide ranges of service to the foreign traders. They collected
taxes, watched over any misdemeanors, and most importantly, provide them with a
place for them to stay or made transaction.

This
then resulted for the creation of the Thirteen Factories or Shisan Hang in
Chinese. The thirteen factories were not manufacturing buildings in modern
sense. They were buildings rented out by the Hongs to foreign business agents
called factors.

Each
of the Thirteen Factories were owned and rented out by Hong. From the accounts
of the American Edmund Roberts the Hongs that own the factories were Mowqua,
Puankhequa, Goqua, Futqua, Kingqua, Sunshing, Mingqua, Saoqua, Punhoqua, and
the most prominent was Howqua. They were the landlords of factors during their
seasonal trading.

The
Thirteen Factories were line up side by side facing the Pearl River. From the
accounts of William Ruschenberger, the length and the width of the whole street
occupied by the Thirteen Factories. From East to West, it measured 200 yards.
Then from north to south, it was 130 yards.

From
east to west the factories lined up as follow: Creek Factory, Dutch Factory,
English or New English Factory. Between the New English Factory and the next
factory laid the narrow Hog Lane. Across the Hog Lane laid the factories
Chow-chow, Old English, Swedish, Imperial, Paoushun, and the American. After
the American another street, the China Street transverse. Then the Chunqua,
French, Spanish factories followed. Then between the Spanish and the last
factory, the Danish, laid the New China Street.

Each
of the factories were named either by the nationality that occupied the factory
or by the Hong owner of the factory. Chow-chow came from the Chinese word that
meant assorted or mixed. It was mainly due to the occupants coming from the
British East India Company composed of Indians, Parsees, and even Persians.
Paoushun and Chunqua came from the name of its owners.

Each
of the factories were given a Chinese name, which would bring prosperity. For
the Creek Factory, it was called Justice and Peace, in Chinesee-ho-hang. For the Dutch, it
was Factory of Collected Justice ortseih-e
hangin Chinese. The name for
the New English was Factory That Ensures Tranquility orpaon-ho-hong. For the
Chow-chow, it was called The Great and Affluent and in Chinese,fung-tae-hang. The Old English
had no Chinese name but was calledbung-shan-hong.
The Swedish was calledsuy-hang.
And the Imperial Factory was calledma-ying-hang.
The Paoshun hang was already a Chinese name and meant the Precious and
Prosperous. The American Factory was given the name Factory of Wide Fountains
orkwang yuen-hang. The
French, Spanish, and Danish had were given no name equivalent name.

The
design and materials of the Thirteen Factories were chosen by the Hong and the
foreigners. During the start of the Canton System, the designs of the factories
were blended to the surrounding Chinese style. When the foreigners settled, its
front changed to specifications of the nationality that stayed in the factory.
The houses were built with local bricks. But as time went by and the foreigners
settled, houses were renovated to be made to either stone or granite. The
houses occupied by the British East India Company even imported materials from
India.

The
latter half of the 18th century saw the dominance of the British in the Canton
trade. But in 1780’s American ships began to join the lucrative trade. Also
before 1841, a substantial Parsee community also settled in the area.

Foreigners
were initially only allowed to stay from October to March. However, by the
entry of the 19th century, some foreigners began to reside in the area.
Representatives of Denmark, Spain, France, Sweden, Britain, and the Netherlands
chose to stay in the Thirteen Factories even if the trading season was off. The
Qing Government by that time just tolerated it. In the 1800’s, some of the
factories were rented and converted by foreigners to serve as hotel. For
example, in 1830’s the Imperial factory had a hotel managed by a certain C.
Markwick. Another hotel was also managed by Robert Edwards in the American
Factory. During the 19th century, the foreigners that settled began to issue
newspaper. Canton Register and Chinese Courier was the two dominant English
newspaper in the Thirteen Factories.

The
end of the Thirteen Factories was alongside the end of the Canton System.
Besides foreign trade, because it was the only opening to China, it became also
the center of the opium trade. Opium led to the addiction of thousands of
Chinese and the start of cancer to the Chinese society. In 1839, the Qing
government of Emperor Daoguang launch a ban against opium. The British reacted
by starting the Opium War. China was humiliated and defeated. In 1842, the
Treaty of Nanjing opened new ports in China. Thus the monopoly of Canton and
the Thirteen Factories came to an end.

The Thirteen Factories was part of the legacy of the Canton
Systems. It was the only land made available to the Europeans during the period
of late 1700’s and early 1800’s. It became a home to the foreigners in the
midst of the hermit policy of Imperial China.